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Commercial-insurance buyers for international construction and some property and casualty coverages are seeing rate reductions of up to 30% through the first half of 2014, thanks to overcapacity in the marketplace.

There were still positive signs for the U.S. property and casualty industry during Q1 2014, but financial performance was not as robust as the same period in 2013 as weather losses mounted and the pace of rate increases slowed.

A Minnesota E. coli outbreak is being blamed on an Oriental chicken salad served at Applebee's restaurants.